1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a solder-bearing lead or terminal (which may be in the form of a clip) for attachment to a metal surface such as a contact pad on a substrate or the contact or terminal of a chip carrier or connector or the like, with at least one solder slug mechanically engaged with the terminal or lead in position to be melted for soldering it to the metal surface.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Various means have been provided for associating a quantity of solder with a terminal clip so that when the terminal clip has been positioned on a metal surface (for example, a contact pad on a substrate introduced into the jaws of a terminal which is in the form of a clip) and the assembly is heated, the solder melts to cover the adjacent surfaces of the terminal and pad to form, when cool, a soldered joint between the terminal clip and pad. Clips of this general type are shown in Cox et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,684 where the solder is applied by having the pads pre-tinned; in Landman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,252 where a continuous solder wire extends along a strip of clips and is held by a bent-back clip arm; in Schell, U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,803 where an individual solder mass is soldered to a clip arm on the side opposite the contact surface with a solder globule extending across one or both edges of the arm to the adjacent contact surface; and in Seidler, U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,648 where the ends of the jaws of the terminal clip are curved arcuately away from the gap between the jaws, and wrap around a short cylindrical mass or slug of solder by more than 180 degrees to grip and hold the solder slug.